Family history is akin to going on journey. When we start we do not necessarily know where we are going, we don’t know what we might see on the journey, nor the destination.

We use our starting point and move forward, doing rough arithmetic to estimate the year of birth for the next generation back. We work through the census hoping that the first names are different and therefore it is easier to establish who is who. The reality is that the family used the same few first names and therefore we may have two or more people with identical names, in some cases they marry someone whose first name is the name of their mother, if we are very unlucky they marry again, to someone with the same first name.

It is examples such as these that frequently why someone undertakes a one-name study. I have also encountered researchers who are focusing their research on an individuals who each bear the same name. In my own instance of this, it is Ralph Butcher and I am sure I will get round to sharing why the focus is on Ralph, but I am going to leave that for another day.

In the case of my several times Great Grandfather, George Ellis he married three times. The image immediately below is his second marriage from 1805 where he declares he is a widower. His bride was Sarah Beagel, and I descend from one of the son’s of this marriage. In 1823, Sarah dies, leaving George with a family. 

Marriage of George Ellis and Sarah Beagel 1805, St Mary’s church, Guildford. Parish Register, Surrey History Centre

In 1824, George remarries to Mary Virgo who is herself a widow. If you look carefully at the certificate below you can hopefully see the error that was made on the marriage certificate.

Marriage of Mary Virgo to George Ellis 1824, Holy Trinity Parish, Guildford, Surrey. Parish register, Surrey History Centre.

At time time of Sarah’s death, she and George had been married for just under 20 years. He therefore would have been used to calling to his wife. Was this a slip of the tongue? Or something that went on over the years? Was it true love, or a marriage that was simply transactional? We will never know, but these are ponderings that I had not considered when I first found the marriage.